How to Apply

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Do you want to start your university education at AUBG? To evaluate your talent and academic potential, we carefully consider all of the documents below, paying special attention to your English proficiency test scores, school grades and the interview.

Application Form

Start by submitting your online application form.

Start my application

You may also use CommonApp.

Please make sure to use a unique personal email address that you check regularly. Do not submit more than one application.

Essay

Write an essay, which will help the AUBG Admissions Committee become acquainted with you, understand your motivation for attending AUBG and determine how well you can express yourself. The essay should be on one of the following topics:

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Your essay should be no more than 650 words. It will be evaluated for its clarity, creativity, completeness of response, sentence structure, paragraphing, spelling, grammar, and style. You can use this essay template .

Letters of Recommendation

Submit two letters of recommendation from teachers, professors, guidance counselors and/or academic advisers familiar with your academic performance. The letters may be written in English, Bulgarian or Russian.

You can print a template for your letters of recommendation.

Transcript

If you are applying in your last year of high school (i.e., before having earned your diploma), you must submit an official transcript for the last three years of school that lists subjects taken, grades earned, and a calculated annual grade point average (GPA). The recommended minimum GPA is 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. All transcripts must include the applicant's name, the contact information of the school issuing the transcripts, and the seal and signature of a school official. Transcripts may be submitted in English, Bulgarian, or Russian.

If you have already completed high school, please submit a copy of your high school diploma with the final grades. Copies must be verified by a notary and translated into English by a certified translator.

English Proficiency

Arrange to have your official TOEFL score sent by ETS to the AUBG Admissions Office. The AUBG institutional code is 2451. Please note that AUBG does not accept personal score reports or photocopies. Your TOEFL score must be less than two years old.

To register for TOEFL please visit www.toefl.org.

Students from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Montenegrocan register for ITP at sta-edu.com.

You could also take advantage of the Free Institutional English Proficiency Test.

English Proficiency Test	Required Minimum
IBT – Internet Based TOEFL	80
ITP TOEFL	550
rPDT - Revised Paper-Delivered TOEFL	60
IELTS – International English Language Testing System	6.5
Cambridge English (FCE, CAE, CPE) - reported on Cambridge English Scale	180
ECPE – Examination for the Certificate of Proficiency in English	650
PTE Academic – Pearson Test of English	59
DET - Duolingo English Test	110
International Baccalaureate (IB) - IB English A: Literature and English (HL) IB English A: Language and Literature (SL) IB English A: Literture (HL) IB English A; Literature (SL) IB English B (HL) More on IB at AUBG	5 5 5 6 6
Advanced Placement – AP English Language & Composition or AP Literature & Composition	4
SAT R Reading	32
ACT English	25
High School in English – See High School English waiver

Test preparation is available from our partner English language centers.

English Proficiency requirement may be waived for:

1. Applicants who are citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada and were primarily educated from English language educational systems in those countries.
2. Applicants who have completed three years of full-time study at a English language accredited high school worldwide and have received (or will receive) the English language accredited high school diploma.
3. Applicants who have received an English language accredited Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

Any request for a waiver of the English language proficiency requirement must be submitted to the Admissions Office with any supporting documentation and will be taken into consideration after review by the Admissions Office on a case by case basis.

American University in Bulgaria reserves the right to require evidence of English language proficiency for all applicants, the adequacy of which shall be at the sole discretion of American University in Bulgaria reserves.

Portfolio

Your achievements and awards help us get a better picture of your skills, interests and strengths. Submit copies of the awards you are most proud of, show us your most impressive work, or send a CV that summarizes your story. Please use this CV template.

Interview

We would like to know you better. The interview is your chance to show your motivation, showcase your achievements, and ask a question to a representative of AUBG. The interview may be in person, by phone, or by Skype and will be scheduled after we receive your TOEFL scores.

SAT / ACT Result (Optional)

AUBG does not require SAT or ACT for admission purposes or financial assistance; however, the scores might help you waive two AUBG introductory courses: MAT 100 and ENG 100. You can submit your official scores through Collegeboard or ACT - AUBG institutional code in Collegeboard is 2451 and 5465 with ACT.

Application for Financial Aid (Optional)

In order to be considered for need-based financial aid and need-based scholarships, you must submit an Application for Financial Aid and all necessary supporting documents. You and your parents should read all instructions carefully and be as thorough as possible. Detailed instructions are available in:

In the absence of trade activities, the following financial declaration available in English or Bulgarian should be submitted in addition.

Please download, print and fill in your Application for Financial Aid. Upload a scanned copy of the application and all original supporting documents to the AUBG Online Application form from the "status" page after you submit your online application.

Application Deadlines

Admission is offered on a rolling basis, which means students may begin the admissions process at any time. Nevertheless, students interested in entering in either the fall or spring semester should try to meet the following deadlines:

Fall Semester

March 1 - for early admission with preferential financial aid and scholarship consideration

June 1 - for regular admission and financial aid for non-EU students

Spring Semester

November 1 - for regular admission and financial aid

Admission Decision

The American University in Bulgaria continually strives to notify prospective students of admissions decisions. Once the Admissions Office has received all required documents, the Admissions Committee will consider the student's application. The student will be officially notified of the Committee's decision in a confidential letter sent to the mailing address provided in the application form. An official notice is usually sent within four weeks of the Admissions office receiving all application documents. Some delay may be expected around the early admission period.

* Please note, if you are accepted to AUBG, you will need to mail hard copies of some of your documents to AUBG for visa purposes. You will receive more information about the documents required and how to ship them to campus.